Power-hammer.



No. 810,905. v PATENTED JAN. so, 1906. A. BRAGG.

POWER HAMMER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.20. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AUSTIN BRAGG, OF WATERVILLE, MAINE.

POWER-HAMMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed February 20, 1904. serial No. 194,573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN BRAGG, a resident of Waterville, in thecounty of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Power-Hammers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved powerhammer, the object of theinvention being to provide improvements of this character which willpermit of the finest adjustment of the stroke, said adjustment beingaccomplished either while the hammer is in operation or stationary.

A further object is to provide an improved elliptic spring-helve withimproved mounting and operating mechanism therefor.

A further object is to provide an improved power-hammer of simpleconstruction and operation, capable of the finest adjustment, and alwaysunder the complete control of the operator.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation,illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thehammer-frame, partly in section. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are views of detailsof construction, and Figs. 6 and 7 are'views of a modified form of headconstruction.

1 represents a bed-frame, the base-plate 2 of which extends forwardbeyond frame 1 and supports the anvil 3. On this base-frame 1 the hollowhammer-frame 4 is securely bolted and has securely bolted thereto avertical elongated ram-guide frame or head 5, having guides 6 therein toreceive tongues or flanges 7 at opposite sides of ram 8. This ram 8 ismade with a central opening to receive the eye 9 at one end of myimproved elliptic spring-helve 10, and a pin is passed through alinedhearings in the ram and through the eye 9 to pivotally connect them. Theeye at the other end of spring-helve 10 is pivotally secured betweenparallel cars 11 of a tubular bracket 12 by means of a pin 13 passedthrough said ears 11 and the eye of the helve. Bracket 12 is internallyscrew-threaded to receive the upper end of a threaded rod 14, the lowerend of the latter being screwed into a tubular bracket 15. This bracketcarries a split ring 16, mounted on an eccentric 17, and the latter isfixed to a shaft 18, supported in suitable bearings in frame 1. This rod14 and connections therefore form a swinging rod or link fulcrum for thehelve, and said rod can be adjusted vertically by turning the same toproperly set the helve.

19 represents a drive-shaft mounted in bearings near the center of frame1 and carries a driving-pulley 20 at one end and a fly or balance wheel22* at its other end. All eccentric 22 is secured on drive-shaft 19between its ends and is engaged by a ring 23, carried by the lower endof an adjustable pitman 24, similar in construction to the fulcrum-rodabove described.

Cross-bars 25 are located above and below spring-helve 10 and areconnected at their ends by bolts 26, having nuts 27 thereon, which maybeadjusted at will to increase or decrease the tension of the spring andregulate its flexibility. The lower bar 25 is pivotally connected topitman 24, so that when shaft 19 is turned theeccentric 22 willreciprocate pitman 24 and swing the helve 10 up and down, with thebracket 12 as fulcrum of the helve, compelling the forward end thereofto operate the ram.

To adjust the stroke of the ram to suit varying thicknesses andconditions of work, I adjust the fulcrum-rod up and down, as will now beexplained. A Wormgear 28 is secured on shaft 18 and meshes with a worm29 on a shaft 29, supported in suitable bearings on frame 1 and carryinga sprocketwheel 30 at its end which projects beyond the end of theframe 1. Standards 31 extend from frames 1 and 4 and have alinedbearings for a shaft 32, carrying a sprocket-wheel 33, connected by anendless sprocket-chain 34 with sprocket-wheel 30, and a hand-Wheel 35 issecured on this shaft 32 in convenient reach of the operator.

By turning hand-wheel 35 motion will be transmitted, through the mediumof shaft 32, sprocket-wheels 3O 33, and chain 34, to shaft 29 and worm29, and as said worm meshes with gear 28 the latter and shaft 18 willalso be turned to move eccentric 17 and raise or lower the fulcrum-rodand bracket 12 at the upper end thereof. This adjustment can beaccomplished while the hammer is in operation or at a standstill and isalways under the complete control of the operator, who can regulate thestroke of the ram to a hairs breadth by such means.

By employing the spring-helve and eccentric motion the force of theweight of the blow of the ram is multiplied many times, but with adegree of elasticity that, reduces danger of breakage, and at the sametime so thoroughly cushions the jar that none is perceptible in theworking parts of the hammer when the blow is struck. In this the actionis the nearest approach to the smiths arm attainable by mechanicalmeans.

The two ends of the semi-elliptic springs 10 constituting the helve areconnected by the.

bar 10, which latter prevents any change in the length of the helvewithout affecting the cushioning a'ction'of the two sections of thespring-helve.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the head may be pivoted and adjusted to anydesired angle, as will now be described. The lower end of the head atopposite sides is provided with trunnions 40, mounted in suitableopenings or bearings in the parallel members forming frame 4. A shaft 41is supported in bearings 4:1 on the head 5 and has fixed thereon pinions42, meshing with racks 43 on the frame 4:, and a hand-wheel 44 issecured on the end of shaft L1 to facilitate turning the same. It willbe seen that by turning hand-wheel 4A pinions 42 will be turned, and thelatter meshing with the racks 43 will cause the head to swing to anydesired angle. To look the head at any adjustment, a lock-nut 4:5 isscrewed onto a threaded portion of shaft 41, and by screwing inward thisnut 45 both pinions will be jammed against the bearings 4:1 andfrictionally held against movement until released by the nut 15.

A great many slight changes might be made in the general form andarrangement of the parts described without departing from my invention,and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, butconsider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterationsas fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a powerhammer, the combination with a ram or hammer of an ellipticspringhelve having both of its members connected at one end to said ramor hammer and the other ends of said members pivotally supported andjustment.

justable support, of an elliptic spring-helve having both of its membersconnected at one end to said ram or hammer and at the other endpivotally connected to the adjustable support and means connected to thehelve intermediate its ends for operating same.

4:. In a power-hammer the combination with a ram or hammer and aswinging fulcrum, the latter being constructed whereby it may belengthened or shortened, of an elliptic spring-helve having both of itsmembers connected at one end to the ram or hammer and at the other endpivotally connected to the free end of the fulcrum, and means engagingthe two members of the helve intermediate the ends thereof for operatingsame.

5. In a power-hammer, the combination with a ram or hammer, of a movablefulcrum, an elliptic spring-helve connecting said ram and fulcrum, barson opposite sides of said spring-helve, clamping-bolts connecting saidbars and adapted to adjust thetension and flexibility of thespring-helve, and operating means connected with said helve between itsends.

6. In a power-hammer, the combination with a frame, of an elongated ramor hammer guide in said frame, a ram or hammer in said guide having anopening therein, a fulcrumrod, an elliptic spring-helve having eyes inthe ends of its two members, one of said eyes pivotally mounted intheopening'in the ram and the other pivotally mounted on the fulcrumrod, aneccentric, and a pitman connecting said eccentric with the helve betweenthe ends-ofthe latter.

7 In a power hammer, the combination with a frame, of a head. havingram-guides therein and pivoted at, its lower end to said frame, a shaftcarried by the head, pinions on said shaft, racks on the frame inmeshwith said pinions, a hand-wheel to turn the. shaft, and a lock-nutto secure the. parts at any adthe two ends of the spring-helve andmeans.

intermediate the ends of the helve for operating same.

9. In a power hammer the combination with a ram or hammer, of anelliptic springhelve connected at one end to said hammer and at itsother end to afulcrum, means connectingthe semi-elliptic sectionsof thespring for regulating their tension and means connected to the helveintermediate its. ends for operating same.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

AUSTIN BRAGG. Witnesses: GEORGE HENRY M-ARR, CHESTER W. GEroHELL.

